Sunday, March 14, 2010

Well as Ive said for a while now, reflux is something I have come to live with, not something that I found unbearable but somewhat annoying... until the past month, the reflux became something I felt I couldnt live with. It had got to the point if I ate or drank anything after 5pm that it would come flying out my nose once I had fallen asleep.

In turn causing a burning sensation in the back of my nose, throat and chest for the rest of the night, making sleeping a problem and therefore causing me to be overtired, cranky and really quite unbearable to live with.

So I decided it was time to find out why this was happening to me, and why am I in the 2% of people who just do suffer reflux after banding.

So on Monday I went for a barrium swallow, after going back to see my fill Dr he said to me that the band didnt look like it was in the correct position but he was having trouble reading the scan, he advised that I see the surgeon and that he would probably put a camera down my throat just to be sure. So here I am thinking ok I can do the camera thingy, everythings going to be fine and whammo!

Friday morning I receive a call from the surgeons secretary asking me to come in immediately, she said it was his day off but he wanted to see me straight away, so with shaking hands I drove there to see him.

He was lovely, called me in and said now Ive had a look at your scans and in all my working history Ive never seen a slipped band this bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG your kidding I said, but it cant be, Im not in any pain, im still eating sandwiches for goodness sake.

He said that when the other surgeon had opened my band 2 years ago and then done it back up, that it was almost eminent that I would have slipped again straight away.... he said in his opinion that should never have been done and that the band should have been replaced with a larger one.

So in turn, my band has slipped sideways and my esophegas has compensated by growing a pouch just as large as my stomach and that my food is falling into this rather than trying to get through my band and there for because its sitting in the pouch with no where to go that when I lie down the only way out is up!!! He said he's never seen anything so bad before and told me he wants me scheduled for surgery to remove my band on Tuesday.

As you can imagine I was devestated, thinking youve got to be kidding, how can i have come so far and now appear to have reached the end of my journey - has this all been for nothing, as lets face it without the band I am screwed - I may aswell just start washing in fat!

He then said that he would like to put a new band in but do it in the same operation, I thought Oh thank God, but then he said the clintcher ......

Because another surgeon put the band in in the first place, and then stuffed it up, he is not happy to cover the costs of that!!!!! So if I would like another band he will be more than happy to do it but it will be $4000!!!!! yes $4000 by Monday!

I left his office very grateful for his advice and help but freaking out about the cost of another band.

I have such mixed emotions, I am so angry with my original surgeon for not listening to me and making my last 2 years uncomfortable, I have had people say why dont I go back to him and say so and have him fix it but for those of you who know what I went through with him, the thought of even seeing that man makes my skin crawl, let alone letting him put me under the knife again....

So Tuesday I embark on once again another stage of this journey, my beautiful understanding husband has agreed that I would be silly not to have another band put straight in so I will be getting another, and I will now be under the care of a lovely surgeon whom I am sure will treat me right.

I will keep you posted on what the next few weeks brings, I look very forward to the sleep to be honest.......